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Weekend preview (June 29 - July 1): F1, MotoGP, Maini

With Formula 1 and MotoGP on the cards and a top crop of Indian racing drivers competing internationally, there’s plenty to look forward to this weekend.

Esteban Ocon, Force India VJM11

Esteban Ocon, Force India VJM11

Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images

F1 (Austrian GP)

F1 (Austrian GP)

Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images

Following last weekend’s French Grand Prix, the F1 circuit heads to Austria as part of a triple header that also encompasses the British GP.

The upgrade engine package Mercedes introduced at Paul Ricard provided a substantial boost, allowing the outfit to lock out the front row and Lewis Hamilton to take an unchallenged win.

However, Sebastian Vettel’s challenge from the back of the pack, following a lap 1 collision with Valtteri Bottas, showed that Ferrari very much remains in the game.

Red Bull will also be looking for a good result at its home turf, but the circuit’s nature means its Renault engine will be full tested.

And finally, Force India’s aim would be to bounce back from a double DNF in France, where Esteban Ocon was a victim of an early contact while Sergio Perez had to retire the car over a water leak.

MotoGP (Dutch TT)

MotoGP (Dutch TT)

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Jorge Lorenzo could potentially be headed to a third straight MotoGP win at Assen, Netherlands.

Lorenzo and Ducati have managed to turn things around after a difficult first season of their partnership, with Lorenzo dominating the last two races.

However, changes have arrived a little too late as the Spaniard will be jumping ship to Honda next year, teaming up with countryman Marquez.

Speaking of Marquez, the 25-year-old continues to lead the riders’ standings by a healthy margin seven races into the season. Although he hasn’t had a perfect run this year, he’s been consistently fighting at the top while all his rivals have been taking points off each other.

Interestingly, despite Yamaha’s continued struggles, it’s Valentino Rossi who sits closest to Marquez on the leaderboard, but still 27 points off the Honda rider.

Arjun Maini (F2, Austria)

Arjun Maini (F2, Austria)

Photo by: FIA Formula 2

Arjun Maini’s France weekend was fraught with engine issues, consigning him to a best finish of 10th.

The problems he suffered all weekend - and earlier in the season - clearly took a toll on him, as made clear by his radio rant that drew worldwide attention.

However, there’s never been a question about Maini’s speed and one would hope that he can channel his Paul Ricard frustrations into a top-line performance in Austria. All he would need is a reliable car and engine.

Aditya Patel (Blancpain GT Series Asia, Japan)

Aditya Patel (Blancpain GT Series Asia, Japan)

Photo by: A.S.O.

Audi-backed Indian racer Aditya Patel will be competing at the Suzuka round of the Blancpain GT Asia series this weekend.

He will pilot a Audi R8 LMS GT3 alongside OD Racing teammate Mitch Gilbert at the legendary Japanese circuit.

Patel and his team haven’t been able to replicate last year’s results, where they lost out the championship by just a single point.

But Suzuka, a venue which is one of Patel’s favourites, could provide him and his team a chance to get their season back on track.

Armaan Ebrahim and Anindith Reddy (Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia, Suzuka)

Armaan Ebrahim and Anindith Reddy (Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia, Suzuka)

Photo by: Lamborghini S.p.A.

Armaan Ebrahim and Anindith Reddy will also be racing at the Suzuka circuit this weekend, but in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia series.

The Indian duo started the season with a podium finish in Malaysia, before scoring a double top-five result in Thailand.

As such, it’s fair to assume that the two will be racing at the sharp end of the field again.

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